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Brantford ( 2021 population: 104,688) is a city in Ontario, Canada, founded on the Grand River in
Southwestern Ontario Southwestern Ontario is a secondary region of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. It occupies most of the Ontario Peninsula bounded by Lake Huron, including Georgian Bay, to the north and northwest; the St. Clair River, Lake St. ...
. It is surrounded by Brant County, but is politically separate with a municipal government of its own that is fully independent of the county's municipal government. Brantford is situated on the Haldimand Tract, traditional territory of the Neutral,
Mississauga Mississauga ( ), historically known as Toronto Township, is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is situated on the shores of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, adjoining the western border of Toronto. With a popul ...
, and Haudenosaunee peoples. The city is named after
Joseph Brant Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant (March 1743 – November 24, 1807) was a Mohawk people, Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York (state), New York, who was closely associated with Kingdom of Great Britain, Great B ...
, an important Mohawk leader, soldier, farmer and slave owner. Brant was an important
Loyalist Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cro ...
leader during the American Revolutionary War and later, after the Haudenosaunee moved to the Brantford area in Upper Canada. Many of his descendants, and other First Nations people, live on the nearby
Six Nations of the Grand River Six Nations (or Six Nations of the Grand River, french: Réserve des Six Nations, see, Ye:i’ Níónöëdzage:h) is demographically the largest First Nations reserve in Canada. As of the end of 2017, it has a total of 27,276 members, 12,848 of w ...
reserve south of Brantford; it is the most populous reserve in Canada. Brantford is known as the "Telephone City" as the city's famous resident,
Alexander Graham Bell Alexander Graham Bell (, born Alexander Bell; March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922) was a Scottish-born inventor, scientist and engineer who is credited with patenting the first practical telephone. He also co-founded the American Telephone and Te ...
, invented the first telephone at his father's homestead, Melville House, now the
Bell Homestead The Bell Homestead National Historic Site, located in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, also known by the name of its principal structure, Melville House, was the first North American home of Professor Alexander Melville Bell and his family, including ...
, located on Tutela Heights south of the city. Brantford is also known as birthplace and hometown of Wayne Gretzky.


History

The Iroquoian-speaking Attawandaron, known in English as the Neutral Nation, lived in the Grand River valley area before the 17th century; their main village and seat of the chief,
Kandoucho Kandoucho, was one of 28 villages of the Neutral Nation, or Attawandaron, in Southern Ontario in the 17th century and the home base for one of their chiefs, Tsohahissen or Souharissen. It was known to the Jesuit missionaries of Sainte-Marie among t ...
, was identified by 19th-century historians as having been located on the Grand River where present-day Brantford developed. This community, like the rest of their settlements, was destroyed when the Iroquois declared war in 1650 over the fur trade and exterminated the Neutral nation. In 1784, Captain
Joseph Brant Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant (March 1743 – November 24, 1807) was a Mohawk people, Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York (state), New York, who was closely associated with Kingdom of Great Britain, Great B ...
and the
Mohawk people The Mohawk people ( moh, Kanienʼkehá꞉ka) are the most easterly section of the Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois Confederacy. They are an Iroquoian-speaking Indigenous people of North America, with communities in southeastern Canada and northern Ne ...
of the Iroquois Confederacy left New York State for Canada. As a reward for their loyalty to the
British Crown The Crown is the state (polity), state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, British Overseas Territories, overseas territories, Provinces and territorie ...
, they were given a large land grant, referred to as the Haldimand Tract, on the Grand River. The original Mohawk settlement was on the south edge of the present-day city at a location favourable for landing canoes. Brant's crossing (or fording) of the river gave the original name to the area: Brant's ford The Glebe Farm Indian Reserve exists at the original site today. The area began to grow from a small settlement in the 1820s as the Hamilton and London Road was improved. By the 1830s, Brantford became a stop on the Underground Railroad, and a sizable number of runaway African-Americans settled in the town. From the 1830s to the 1860s - several hundred people of African descent settled in the area around Murray Street, and in Cainsville. In Brantford, they established their own school and church, now known as the S.R. Drake Memorial Church. In 1846, it is estimated 2000 residents lived in the city's core while 5199 lived in the outlying rural areas. There were 8 churches in Brantford at this time - Episcopal, Presbyterian, Catholic, two Methodist, Baptist, Congregational, and one for the African-Canadian residents. By 1847, Europeans began to settle further up the river at a ford in the Grand River and named their village Brantford. The population increased after 1848 when river navigation to Brantford was opened and again in 1854 with the arrival of the railway to Brantford. Because of the ease of navigation from new roads and the Grand River, several manufacturing companies could be found in the town by 1869. Some of these factories included Brantford Engine Works, Victoria Foundry and Britannia Foundry. Several major farm implement manufacturers, starting with Cockshutt and Harris, opened for business in the 1870s. The history of the Brantford region from 1793 to 1920 is described at length in the book ''At The Forks of The Grand''. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, both the United States and Canadian governments encouraged education of First Nations children at residential schools, which were intended to teach them English and European-American ways and assimilate them to the majority cultures. These institutions in Western New York and Canada included the Thomas Indian School, Mohawk Institute Residential School (also known as Mohawk Manual Labour School and Mush Hole Indian Residential School) in Brantford, Southern Ontario, Haudenosaunee boarding school, and the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in
Carlisle, Pennsylvania Carlisle is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2020 United States census, ...
. Decades later and particularly since the late 20th century, numerous scholarly and artistic works have explored the detrimental effects of the schools in destroying Native cultures. Examples include: the film ''Unseen Tears: A Documentary on Boarding School Survivors'', Ronald James Douglas' graduate thesis titled ''Documenting Ethnic Cleansing in North America: Creating Unseen Tears'', and the Legacy of Hope Foundation's online media collection: "Where are the Children? Healing the Legacy of the Residential Schools". In June 1945, Brantford became the first city in Canada to fluoridate its water supply. Brantford generated controversy in 2010 when its city council expropriated and demolished 41 historic downtown buildings on the south side of its main street, Colborne Street. The buildings constituted one of the longest blocks of pre-Confederation architecture in Canada, and included one of Ontario's first grocery stores and an early 1890s office of the
Bell Telephone Company of Canada Bell Canada (commonly referred to as Bell) is a Canadian telecommunications company headquartered at 1 Carrefour Alexander-Graham-Bell in the borough of Verdun in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is an ILEC (incumbent local exchange carrier) in ...
. The decision was widely criticized by Ontario's heritage preservation community, however the city argued it was needed for downtown renewal.


Historical plaques and memorials

Plaques and monuments erected by the provincial and federal governments provide additional glimpses into the early history of the area around Brantford. The famed Mohawk Chief
Joseph Brant Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant (March 1743 – November 24, 1807) was a Mohawk people, Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York (state), New York, who was closely associated with Kingdom of Great Britain, Great B ...
(Thayendanega) led his people from the Mohawk Valley of New York State to Upper Canada after being allied with the British during the American Revolution where they lost their land holdings. A group of 400 settled in 1788 on the Grand River at Mohawk Village which would later become Brantford. Nearly a century later (1886), the Joseph Brant Memorial would be erected in
Burlington, Ontario Burlington is a city in the Regional Municipality of Halton at the northwestern end of Lake Ontario in Ontario, Canada. Along with Milton to the north, it forms the western end of the Greater Toronto Area and is also part of the Hamilton met ...
in honour of Brant and the Six Nations Confederacy. The Mohawk Chapel, built by the British Crown in 1785 for the Mohawk and Iroquois people (Six Nations of the Grand River) was dedicated in 1788 as a reminder of the original agreements made with the British during the American Revolution. In 1904 the chapel received Royal status by King Edward VII in memory of the longstanding alliance. Her Majesty's Royal Chapel of the Mohawks is an important reminder of the original agreements made with Queen Anne in 1710. It is still in use today as one of two royal Chapels in Canada and the oldest Protestant Church in the province. Joseph Brant and his son John Brant are buried here. Chief John Brant (Mohawk leader) (Ahyonwaeghs) was one of the sons of Joseph Brant. He fought with the British during the War of 1812 and later worked to improve the welfare of the First Nations. He was involved in building schools and improving the welfare of his people. Brant initiated the opening of schools and from 1828 served as the first native Superintendent of the Six Nations. Chief Brant was elected to Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada for Haldimand in 1830 and was the first aboriginal Canadian in Parliament. The stone and brick Brant County Courthouse was built on land purchased from the Six Nations in 1852. The structure housed court rooms, county offices, a law library and a gaol. During additions in the 1880s, the Greek Revival style, with Doric columns, was retained. Among the most famed residents were
Alexander Graham Bell Alexander Graham Bell (, born Alexander Bell; March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922) was a Scottish-born inventor, scientist and engineer who is credited with patenting the first practical telephone. He also co-founded the American Telephone and Te ...
and his family, who arrived in mid 1870 from Scotland while Bell was suffering from tuberculosis. They lived with Bell's father and mother who had settled in a farmhouse on Tutela Heights (named after the First Nations tribe of the areaPatten, William; Bell, Alexander Melville
Pioneering The Telephone In Canada
, Montreal: Herald Press, 1926, pg.7. (Note: Patten's full name as published is William Patten, not Gulielmus Patten as stated at Google Books)
and later absorbed into Brantford.) Then called Melville House, it is now a museum, the
Bell Homestead National Historic Site The Bell Homestead National Historic Site, located in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, also known by the name of its principal structure, Melville House, was the first North American home of Professor Alexander Melville Bell and his family, includin ...
. This was the site of the invention of the telephone in 1874 and ongoing trials in 1876. The
Bell Memorial The Bell Memorial (also known as the Bell Monument or Telephone Monument) is a memorial designed by Walter Seymour Allward to commemorate the invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell at the Bell Homestead National Historic Site, in Bra ...
, also known as the Bell Monument, was commissioned to commemorate Bell's invention of the telephone in Brantford; it is also one of the
National Historic Sites of Canada National Historic Sites of Canada (french: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), as being ...
. file:Alexander Graham Bell Brantford Monument 0.98.jpg, 500px, center, The
Bell Memorial The Bell Memorial (also known as the Bell Monument or Telephone Monument) is a memorial designed by Walter Seymour Allward to commemorate the invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell at the Bell Homestead National Historic Site, in Bra ...
, commemorating the invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell. The monument, paid by public subscription and sculpted by Walter Seymour Allward, W.S. Allward, was dedicated by the Governor General of Canada, Victor Cavendish, 9th Duke of Devonshire with Dr. Bell in The Telephone City's Alexander Graham Bell Gardens in 1917. Included on the main tableau are figures representing "Man, the Inventor," "Inspiration whispering to Man, his power to transmit sound through space," as well as "Knowledge, Joy, Sorrow." Courtesy: Brantford Heritage Inventory, alt=A majestic, broad monument with figures mounted on pedestals to its left and right sides. Along the main portion of the monument are five figures mounted on a broad casting, including a man reclining, plus four floating female figures representing Inspiration, Knowledge, Joy, and Sorrow.


Invention of the telephone

Some articles suggest that the telephone was invented in Boston where Alexander Graham Bell did a great deal of work on the development of the device. However, Bell confirmed Brantford as the birthplace of the device in a 1906 speech: "the telephone problem was solved, and it was solved at my father's home". At the unveiling of the
Bell Memorial The Bell Memorial (also known as the Bell Monument or Telephone Monument) is a memorial designed by Walter Seymour Allward to commemorate the invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell at the Bell Homestead National Historic Site, in Bra ...
on 24 October 1917, Bell reminded the attendees that "Brantford is right in claiming the invention of the telephone here... hich wasconceived in Brantford in 1874 and born in Boston in 1875" and that "the first transmission to a distance was made between Brantford and Paris" (on 3 August 1876). As well, the second successful voice transmission (over a distance of 6 km; 4 miles) was also made in the area, on 4 August 1876, between the telegraph office in Brantford, Ontario and Bell's father's homestead over makeshift wires. Canada's first telephone factory, created by James Cowherd, was located in Brantford and operated from about 1879 until Cowherd's death in 1881. The first telephone business office which opened in 1877, not far from the Bell Homestead, was located in what is now Brantford. The combination of events has led to Brantford calling itself "The Telephone City".


Law and Government

Brantford is located within the County of Brant; however, it is a single-tier municipality, politically separate from the County. ''Ontario's Municipal Act, 2001'' defines single-tier municipalities as "a municipality, other than an upper-tier municipality, that does not form part of an upper-tier municipality for municipal purposes". Single-tier municipalities provide for all local government services. At the federal and provincial levels of government, Brantford is part of the Brant riding.
Brantford City Council The Brantford City Council is the governing body of Brantford, Ontario. The council consists of a mayor and ten councillors, two representing each of five wards. The city council elections are held every four years and the citizens and community ...
is the municipal governing body. As of October 22, 2018, the mayor is Kevin Davis.


Safety

Brantford's economy was hit hard in the 1980s when farm equipment manufacturers Massey Ferguson and White Farm Equipment closed their local plants. By the end of 1981, the city's unemployment rate reached 22%. As with other small Ontario cities hit by the decline of manufacturing, the community struggled with an increase in social problems. In more recent times, the city was hit hard by the opioid crisis. In 2018, Brantford had the highest rate of emergency department visits for overdose of any city in Ontario. In 2018, Brantford police reported an overall crime rate of 6,533 incidents per 100,000 population, 59% higher than in Ontario (4,113) and 19% higher than in Canada (5,488). The same year, '' Maclean's'' magazine ranked Brantford as having a higher rate of crime severity than most of the province.


Economy

The electric telephone was invented here, leading to the establishment of Canada's first telephone factory here in the 1870s. Brantford developed as an important Canadian industrial centre for the first half of the 20th century, and it was once the third-ranked Canadian city in terms of cash-value of manufactured goods exported. The city developed at the deepest navigable point of the Grand River. Because of existing networks, it became a railroad hub of Southern Ontario. The combination of water and rail helped Brantford develop from a farming community into an industrial city with many blue-collar jobs, based on the agriculture implement industry. Major companies included S.C. Johnson Wax, Massey-Harris, Verity Plow, and the Cockshutt Plow Company. This industry, more than any other, provided the well-paying and steady employment that allowed Brantford to sustain economic growth through most of the 20th century. By the 1980s and 1990s, the economy of Brantford was in steady decline due to changes in heavy industry and its restructuring. Numerous companies suffered bankruptcies, such as White Farm Equipment, Massey Ferguson (and its successor, Massey Combines Corporation), Koering-Waterous, Harding Carpets, and other manufacturers. The bankruptcies and closures of the businesses left thousands of people unemployed and created one of the most economically depressed areas in the country, and had a particular impact on the once vibrant downtown. An economic revival was prompted by the completion of the Brantford-to-
Ancaster Ancaster may refer to: * Ancaster, Lincolnshire, England * Ancaster, Ontario, Canada *Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 3rd Earl of Ancaster Gilbert James Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 3rd Earl of Ancaster, (8 December 1907 – 29 March ...
section of Highway 403 in 1997, bringing companies easy access to Hamilton and Toronto and completing a direct route from Detroit to Buffalo. In 2004 Procter & Gamble and Ferrero SpA chose to locate in the city. Though Wescast Industries, Inc. recently closed their local foundry, their corporate headquarters will remain in Brantford. SC Johnson Canada has their headquarters and a manufacturing plant in Brantford, connected to the Canadian National network. Other companies that have their headquarters here include Gunther Mele and
GreenMantra Technologies GreenMantra Technologies is a clean technology company that produces value-added synthetic waxes and specialty polymers from post-consumer and post-industrial recycled plastics. These products are used in various applications including roofing a ...
. On February 16, 2005, Brant, including Brantford, was added to the Greater Golden Horseshoe along with
Haldimand Haldimand may refer to: People * Frederick Haldimand (1718–1791), Swiss-born army officer and governor of Quebec * Peter Frederick Haldimand (1741 or 1742–1765), Swiss-born British army officer and surveyor * William Haldimand (1784–1862), d ...
and Northumberland counties. In February 2019, Brantford's unemployment rate stood at 4.6% – lower than Ontario's rate of 5.6%.


Climate

Brantford has a humid continental climate ( Dfb) with warm to hot summers and cold, moderately snowy winters, though not severe by Canadian standards.


Demographics

In the
2021 Census of Population The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, which is sli ...
conducted by
Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; french: Statistique Canada), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and cultur ...
, Brantford had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. At the census metropolitan area (CMA) level in the 2021 census, the Brantford CMA had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. 95,780 gave their ethnic background on the 2016 census. Brantford has the highest proportion of
Status Indians The Indian Register is the official record of people registered under the ''Indian Act'' in Canada, called status Indians or ''registered Indians''. People registered under the ''Indian Act'' have rights and benefits that are not granted to othe ...
in Southern Ontario, outside of an Indian reserve. In 2021, 51.8% of residents were
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
, down from 64.8% in 2011. 22.2% of residents were Catholic, 17.6% were Protestant, and 7.7% were Christian not otherwise specified. All other Christian denominations and Christian-related traditions accounted for 4.1% of the population. 40.4% of residents had no religion, up from 31.6% in 2011. All other religions and spiritual traditions made up 8.1% of the population. The largest non-Christian religions were Sikhism (2.6%),
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
(2.0%), Hinduism (1.7%) and Buddhism (0.5%).


Film and television

Brantford has been used as a filming location for TV and films. *The television series ''
Murdoch Mysteries ''Murdoch Mysteries'' is a Canadian television drama series that premiered on Citytv on January 20, 2008, and currently airs on CBC. The series is based on characters from the ''Detective Murdoch'' novels by Maureen Jennings and stars Yannick B ...
'' has used the Carnegie Building, now part of Wilfrid Laurier University's Brantford campus, as the courthouse. The interior of the Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts has also been featured in the series. In addition, Victoria Park and many of the older homes along Dalhousie and George streets have been used for shot locations. *The television series ''
The Boys Boys are young male humans. Boys or The Boys may also refer to: Film and television Films * ''The Boys'' (1962 British film), a courtroom drama by Sidney J. Furie * ''The Boys'' (1962 Finnish film), a war drama by Mikko Niskanen * ''Boys'' ( ...
'' upcoming season 3 was partially filmed in Brantford during the spring of 2021. *The television series ''The Handmaid's Tale'' had several locations filmed in Brantford during 2018,2020 and 2022. *Several movies have had scenes shot at the
Brantford Airport Brantford Airport , also known as Brantford Municipal Airport, is a registered aerodrome located west southwest of the City of Brantford, in the county of Brant, Ontario, Canada. There is a single fixed-base operator at the airport. The airpor ...
, including '' Welcome to Mooseport'' and '' Where the Truth Lies''. Many ''
Mayday Mayday is an emergency procedure word used internationally as a distress signal in voice-procedure radio communications. It is used to signal a life-threatening emergency primarily by aviators and mariners, but in some countries local organiza ...
'' episodes have also been filmed there. *An episode of ''
Due South ''Due South'' is a Canadian crime comedy-drama television series created by Paul Haggis, and produced by Alliance Communications from its premiere on April 26, 1994, to its conclusion after four seasons on March 14, 1999. The series starred Pau ...
'', "Dr. Long Ball", was filmed at Arnold Anderson Stadium in Cockshutt Park. *Brantford's downtown provided locations for '' Weirdsville'' in 2006 and " Silent Hill" in 2005. Many area residents observed that little work had to be done to make downtown look decayed and haunted. *Brantford's Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts was used as "The Rose" mainstage theatre of the "New Burbage Festival" in the series '' Slings & Arrows.''


Education

Statistics from the Federal 2016 Census indicated that 54.1% of Brantford's adult residents (age 25 to 64) had earned either a Post-secondary certificate, diploma, or university degree.


Universities and colleges

Several post-secondary institutions have facilities in Brantford. *
Laurier Brantford Laurier Brantford is Wilfrid Laurier University's second campus located in Brantford, Ontario. The first and original campus of Wilfrid Laurier University is located in Waterloo, Ontario. Laurier follows a 'multicampus' structure, as it is one ...
, a campus of Wilfrid Laurier University, offers a variety of programs at their downtown campus. The 2013-14 enrollment is 2,800 full-time students. **The Faculty of Liberal Arts includes Contemporary Studies, Journalism, History, English, Youth and Children's Studies, Human Rights and Human Diversity, Languages at Brantford and Law and Society programs. The Faculty of Human and Social Sciences includes Criminology, Health Studies, Psychology and Leadership. **The Faculty of Social Work includes the Bachelor of Social Work. **The Faculty of Graduate and Post-Doctoral Studies includes Social Justice and Community Engagement (MA) and Criminology (MA) **The School of Business and Economics includes Business Technology Management. *
Six Nations Polytechnic Six Nations Polytechnic (SNP) is a Haudenosaunee-governed Indigenous institute on Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation. SNP is an Indigenous Institute, the third pillar of post-secondary education in Ontario, as recognized by the ''Indige ...
operates out of the former
Mohawk College Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology is a public college of applied arts and technology located in Hamilton, Ontario. Established in 1966, the college currently has five main campuses: the Fennell Campus on the Hamilton Mountain, the M ...
campus. The school offers various 2-year college programs from their campus in Brantford. They also have a campus on the nearby
Six Nations of the Grand River Six Nations (or Six Nations of the Grand River, french: Réserve des Six Nations, see, Ye:i’ Níónöëdzage:h) is demographically the largest First Nations reserve in Canada. As of the end of 2017, it has a total of 27,276 members, 12,848 of w ...
, catering to mostly university programs. * Nipissing University, in partnership with Laurier Brantford, offers the Concurrent Education program in Brantford. In five years, students earn an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Society, Culture & Environment from Laurier Brantford, and a Bachelor of Education from Nipissing University. During the 2013–14 academic year there were 70 full-time and 100 part-time students in the program. *
Conestoga College Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning is a public college located in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. Established in 1967, Conestoga serves approximately 23,000 registered students through campuses and training centres in ...
offers academic programming in Brantford's downtown core in partnership with Wilfrid Laurier University and its Laurier Brantford campus. Conestoga College offer diplomas in Business and Health Office Administration, a graduate certificate in Human Resources Management, and a certificate in Medical Office Practice in Brantford. This program has 120 full-time students in the 2013–14 academic year. *
Mohawk College Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology is a public college of applied arts and technology located in Hamilton, Ontario. Established in 1966, the college currently has five main campuses: the Fennell Campus on the Hamilton Mountain, the M ...
had a satellite campus; however, the college ceased operations in Brantford and transferred the property to
Six Nations Polytechnic Six Nations Polytechnic (SNP) is a Haudenosaunee-governed Indigenous institute on Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation. SNP is an Indigenous Institute, the third pillar of post-secondary education in Ontario, as recognized by the ''Indige ...
at the end of the 2013–14 academic year.


Secondary schools

Public education in the area is managed by the Grand Erie District School Board, and Catholic education is managed by the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board. * Assumption College School (Catholic) * Brantford Collegiate Institute - successor to Brantford Grammar School (c. 1852) and Brantford High School (c. 1871). * North Park Collegiate & Vocational School * Pauline Johnson Collegiate & Vocational School * St. John's College (Catholic) *Tollgate Technological Skills Centre (formerly known as Herman E. Fawcett) *Grand Erie Learning Alternatives (GELA)


Elementary schools

Public education in the area is managed by the Grand Erie District School Board, and Catholic education is managed by the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board and the Conseil Scolaire de District Catholique Centre-Sud. *Christ The King School (Catholic) *St. Peter School (Catholic) *Holy Cross School (Catholic) *St. Basil Catholic Elementary School (Catholic) *Jean Vanier Catholic Elementary School (Catholic) *Notre Dame Catholic Elementary School (Catholic) *St. Pius X Catholic Elementary School (Catholic) *St. Gabriel Catholic Elementary School (Catholic) *Our Lady of Providence Catholic Elementary School (Catholic) *Resurrection School (Catholic) *St. Leo School (Catholic) *St. Patrick School (Catholic) *Russell Reid Elementary School *Woodman-Cainsville School *Echo Place School *Cedarland Public School *Centennial-Grand Woodlands School *École Confederation (French Immersion) *Dufferin Public School (French Immersion) *Walter Gretzky Elementary School * Mount Pleasant Public School *Ryerson Heights Elementary School *Graham Bell-Victoria Public School *Lansdowne-Costain Public School *Major Ballachey Public School *Agnes G. Hodge Public School *Prince Charles Public School *Greenbrier Public School *James Hillier Public School *Grandview Public School *Banbury Heights School *King George School *Branlyn School *Brier Park School *Central School *Princess Elizabeth Public School *Bellview Public School *St. Marguerite Bourgeois (French) *Brantford Christian School (Separate) *Central Baptist Academy (Baptist)


Other

*The
W. Ross Macdonald School The W. Ross Macdonald School was founded in March 1872 in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. Its first principal was Ezekiel Stone Wiggins. It provides instruction from kindergarten to secondary school graduation for blind and deafblind students. W. ...
for
blind Blind may refer to: * The state of blindness, being unable to see * A window blind, a covering for a window Blind may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Blind'' (2007 film), a Dutch drama by Tamar van den Dop * ''Blind' ...
and deafblind students is located in Brantford. *The Mohawk Institute Residential School, a Canadian Indian residential school, was located in Brantford. It was closed after emphasis on educating children in their home communities and encouraging their own cultures, in part because of reporting of abuses at such facilities. *Victoria Academy is a private
secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...
in Brantford. *Braemar House School is a private elementary school in Brantford offering diverse Montessori and Elementary School curriculum.


Media


Print

The ''
Brantford Expositor The ''Brantford Expositor'' is an English language newspaper based in Brantford, Ontario and owned by Postmedia. It provides the readers with coverage of local news, sports and events to the community as well as coverage of provincial, national a ...
'', started in 1852, is published six days per week (excluding Sundays) by Sun Media Corp. The ''Brant News'' was a weekly paper, delivered Thursdays until 2018; it publishes breaking news online at their website, and is published by Metroland Media Group. The '' Two Row Times,'' a Free weekly paper started in 2013, is published on Wednesdays, delivered to every reservation in Ontario and globally online at their website, published by Garlow Media. BScene, a Free community paper founded in 2014, is published monthly and distributed locally throughout Brantford and Brant County via local businesses and community centers, It can also be viewed online at their website. Independently published.


Radio

*AM 1380 - CKPC (AM), religious *FM 92.1 - CKPC-FM, adult contemporary *FM 93.9 - CFWC-FM, country music


Television

Brantford's only local television service comes from Rogers TV (cable 20), a local community channel on
Rogers Cable Rogers Cable Inc. is Canada's largest cable television service provider with about 2.25 million television customers, and over 930,000 Internet subscribers, primarily in Southern & Eastern Ontario, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador. Ro ...
. Otherwise, Brantford is served by stations from Toronto, Hamilton and
Kitchener Kitchener may refer to: People * Earl Kitchener, a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom ** Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener (1850–1916), British Field Marshal and 1st Earl Kitchener ** Henry Kitchener, 2nd Earl Kitchener (1846–1937) ...
.


Transportation


Air

Brantford Municipal Airport is located west of the city. It hosts an annual
air show An air show (or airshow, air fair, air tattoo) is a public event where aircraft are exhibited. They often include aerobatics demonstrations, without they are called "static air shows" with aircraft parked on the ground. The largest air show m ...
, featuring the Snowbirds. The
John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport is an international airport in Hamilton, Ontario, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The airport is part of the neighbourhood of Mount Hope, Hamilton, Ontario, Mount Hope, southwest of Downtown Hamilton and ...
in Hamilton is located about 35 km (20 miles) east of Brantford. Toronto Pearson International Airport is located in
Mississauga Mississauga ( ), historically known as Toronto Township, is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is situated on the shores of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, adjoining the western border of Toronto. With a popul ...
, about 100 km (60 miles) northeast of Brantford.


Rail

Brantford station Brantford railway station in Brantford, Ontario, Canada is a railway station serving Via Rail trains running between Toronto and Windsor. The station also serves the nearby towns of Paris and Simcoe. History The station was built by the Grand ...
is located just north of downtown Brantford. Via Rail has daily passenger trains on the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. Trains also stop at Union Station in Toronto. Street rail began in Brantford in 1886 with horse-drawn carriages; by 1893 this system had been converted to electric. The City of Brantford took over these operations in 1914. Around 1936 it began to replace the electric street car system with gas-run buses, and by the end of 1939 the change-over was complete.


Bus

* Brantford Transit serves the city with nine regular routes operating on a half-hour schedule from the downtown Transit Terminal on Darling Street, with additional school service. * GO bus service between downtown Brantford and Aldershot GO Station in Burlington, stopping at McMaster University. *An on-demand service, Brant eRide, provides service to Paris,
St. George Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldier ...
, and Burford.


Provincial highways

* Highway 403, East to Hamilton, West to Woodstock. *
Highway 24 Route 24, or Highway 24, can refer to: International * European route E24 Australia * Lyell Highway (Tasmania) * Central Arnhem Road, NT Austria * Verbindungsspange Rothneusiedel Canada * Alberta Highway 24 * British Columbia Highway 24 * Ma ...
, North to Cambridge, South to Simcoe.


Cycling

, there are at least of bikeways in Brantford. There are some planned street redesigns which include protected bike lanes and multi-use trails, which are in the public consultation phase. Some former rail lines serving Brantford have been converted to
rail trail A rail trail is a shared-use path on railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed, but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rail, or streetcar ...
s, which allow for intercommunity cycling connections to the north, south, and east. This includes the SC Johnson Trail to Paris (with further connections north to Cambridge and beyond) and the
Hamilton to Brantford Rail Trail Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilton ...
, which provides a connection east to Hamilton through
Dundas Dundas may refer to: Places Australia * Dundas, New South Wales * Dundas, Queensland, a locality in the Somerset Region * Dundas, Tasmania * Dundas, Western Australia * Fort Dundas, a settlement in the Northern Territory 1824–1828 * Shire of ...
and Jerseyville. Twin rail trails, the LE&N Trail and TH&B Trail, connect south to Mount Pleasant, where they connect further south ultimately to Port Dover.


Culture and entertainment

Local museums include the Bell Homestead, Woodland Cultural Centre, Brant Museum and Archives, Canadian Military Heritage Museum and the
Personal Computer Museum The Personal Computer Museum was located in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, in a building formerly owned by the municipal government. The building was built with bricks reclaimed from the Brantford Opera House. Over fifty interactive personal compute ...
. Annual events include the "Brantford International Villages Festival" in July; the "Brantford Kinsmen Annual Ribfest" in August; the "Chili Willy Cook-Off" in February; the "Frosty Fest", a Church festival held in winter; The Bell Summer Theatre Festival, takes place from Canada Day to Labour Day at the Bell Homestead Brantford is the home of several theatre groups including Brant Theatre Workshops, Dufferin Players, His Majesty's players, ICHTHYS Theatre, Stage 88, Theatre Brantford and Whimsical Players. Brantford has a casino, Elements Casino Brantford.
The Sanderson Centre The Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts is a heritage theatre and concert hall located in the heart of downtown Brantford, Ontario. The Sanderson Centre seats 1,125 people and is a home for local performing arts organizations like the Brantf ...
for the Performing Arts is a local performance venue.


Brantford Public Library

Brantford Public Library's central branch is located downtown on Colborne Street. It has an additional branch on St. Paul Avenue. It has been automated since 1984. In 2000, the library was the first in North America to join the UNESCO model library network.


Sports teams and tournaments


Current intercounty or major teams

* Brantford Red Sox of the Intercounty Baseball League who play at Arnold Anderson Stadium *Brantford Braves of the Junior Intercounty Baseball League who also play at Arnold Anderson Stadium * Brantford Blast of the
Allan Cup Hockey Allan Cup Hockey (ACH), formerly Major League Hockey until 2011, is the top tier Canadian senior ice hockey league in the province of Ontario. Founded in 1990, as the Southwestern Senior "A" Hockey League, the ACH is a member of the Ontario Hock ...
League who play at the Brantford Civic Centre * Brantford 99ers of the Ontario Junior Hockey League *
Brantford Bandits The Brantford Bandits are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Mid-Western Conference of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. History For years, the Brantford Eagles franchise were not ver ...
of the
Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League The Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL) is a Canadian junior ice hockey league based in Southern Ontario, Canada. The league is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association, Ontario Hockey Federation, and Hockey Canada. The league is c ...
* Brantford Galaxy SC of the
Canadian Soccer League The Canadian Soccer League (CSL; french: Ligue canadienne de soccer — LCS) is a semi-professional league for Canadian soccer clubs primarily located in the province of Ontario, and claims the history of the Canadian National Soccer League (C ...
who play at Lion's Park. *
Brantford Harlequins The Brantford Harlequins Rugby Football Club, also known as the "Quins", is a collection of rugby union teams situated in Brantford, Ontario. The current teams include two ORU Senior Men's teams, one Niagara Rugby Union Men's team, and one Niagara ...
of the Ontario Rugby Union


Defunct teams

* Brantford Alexanders (1976 to 1978), a former team of the Senior Ontario Hockey Association who played at the Brantford Civic Centre. Won
1978 Allan Cup The 1978 Allan Cup was the Canadian senior ice hockey championship for the 1977–78 senior "A" season. The event was hosted by the Kimberley Dynamiters in Kimberley, British Columbia. The 1978 playoff marked the 70th time that the Allan Cup ...
. * Brantford Motts Clamatos. Won
1987 Allan Cup The 1987 Allan Cup was the Canadian senior ice hockey championship for the 1986–87 senior "AAA" season. The event was hosted by the Brantford Motts Clamatos in Brantford, Ontario. The 1987 playoff marked the 79th time that the Allan Cup has b ...
. *
Brantford Golden Eagles The Brantford Eagles were a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Mid-Western Conference of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. On May 23, 2012, the Eagles were transplanted to Caledonia, ...
of the
Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League The Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL) is a Canadian junior ice hockey league based in Southern Ontario, Canada. The league is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association, Ontario Hockey Federation, and Hockey Canada. The league is c ...
, moved in 2012 to become Caledonia Corvairs. * Brantford Alexanders (1978 to 1984), a former team of the Ontario Hockey League who played at the Brantford Civic Centre. They are now the Erie Otters. *
Brantford Smoke The Brantford Smoke were a minor professional ice hockey team in the Colonial Hockey League and the United Hockey League. They played in Brantford, Ontario, from 1991–92 (the league's inaugural season) until 1997–98, playing home games at th ...
(1991–1998) of the CoHL, Colonial Hockey League who played at the Brantford Civic Centre. The team moved to Asheville in 1998. *Brantford Blaze of the
Canadian National Basketball League The Canadian National Basketball League (CNBL) was a professional basketball league based in southern Ontario aiming to attract Canadians, Canadian players who played overseas to join their league. In November 2002 they announced their inaugural s ...
, played only a few exhibition games in 2003–04.


Events

*The Wayne Gretzky International Hockey Tournament, which celebrated its 9th anniversary in 2015, is held in Brantford annually *Brantford hosted and won the 2008 Allan Cup, which celebrated the 100th anniversary of the event. *The city served as the pre-season camp and facility for the Pittsburgh Penguins during the late 1960s, hosting the franchise's first preseason training camp and its first preseason exhibition game. *The Walter Gretzky Street Hockey Tournament, celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2016, is held in Brantford annually. In 2010, this "great" tournament was recognized and established a Guinness World Record for the largest Street Hockey Tournament in the world with 205 teams with just over 2,096 participants.


Notable people


Twin towns – sister cities

Brantford is
twinned Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to: * In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so; * Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning * Twinning inst ...
with: * Ostrów Wielkopolski, Poland * Kamianets-Podilskyi, Ukraine


See also

*
Alexander Graham Bell Alexander Graham Bell (, born Alexander Bell; March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922) was a Scottish-born inventor, scientist and engineer who is credited with patenting the first practical telephone. He also co-founded the American Telephone and Te ...
*
Brant (electoral district) Brant may refer to: Places * Brant County, Ontario, Canada ** Brant (electoral district), Ontario, Canada ** Brant North, Ontario, Canada ** Brant South, Ontario, Canada ** Brant South (provincial electoral district), Ontario, Canada ** Brant ...
*
Brantford City Council The Brantford City Council is the governing body of Brantford, Ontario. The council consists of a mayor and ten councillors, two representing each of five wards. The city council elections are held every four years and the citizens and community ...
* List of mayors of Brantford, Ontario


References


External links

* {{Authority control 1877 establishments in Ontario Cities in Ontario Populated places established in 1877 Populated places on the Underground Railroad Populated places on the Grand River (Ontario) Single-tier municipalities in Ontario Southwestern Ontario